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Leon deLonse
"I am loyal to my father who taught me, to my bride who loves me, and to the Lady who protects me. Your actions have forced me to prove this loyalty, brother." - Leon, before dueling Loffrey deLonse. Leon deLonse, born 2503 I.C., was a Bretonnian knight from the Dukedom of L'Anguille. The bastard son of Cyris deLonse and Sophia, a lowborn girl from the city of L'Anguille. Leon was the half brother of the deLonse's true sons; Loffrey and Rufus. Leon would never know either of his would-be mothers as both passed away before he could know them. His status as a bastard son of a Lord's house placed him awkwardly in the social echelons of Bretonnia. He was neither welcomed by the nobility nor was he given the proper respect of the common folk, this made life quite difficult for him growing up. However, of all his greatest trials none compared to the scorn his eldest half-brother, Loffrey, held for Leon. Loffrey viewed the bastard son as stain upon the noble deLonse house and saw his presence as an obstacle that could very well keep the noble family from true political strength. By stark contrast, Leon's other half-brother, Rufus, treated the bastard as though he was a true son of the family. The two enjoyed a great friendship, and Leon was inspired by Rufus' charisma and skill-at-arms. So then, it was a terrible day when Leon learned that Rufus had been slain in a duel whilst on his Quest at the hands of Urgog Bloodeye, an infamous and feared Orc Warboss. Despite the challenges that Leon faced, he remained a loyal member of the deLonse family. He idolized his father and was always grateful to the L'Anguillian lord for taking him into such an esteemed house. Although Loffrey tried to cut away at Leon's spirit through his many subtle machinations, the youngest deLonse grew to be a knight of uncommon skill and courage. Beyond all else though, he was an exemplar of loyalty - a tireless symbol of a knight's sworn duty to his lord and house. 'Half a noble's blood, but twice the spirit' was attributed to Leon by Lord Jacques LeBlanc himself, a man who had at one point resented the young knight for his common parentage. As a reward for his unfaltering loyalty, Cyris named Leon the standard bearer of house deLonse - one of the greatest honors a Bretonnian knight can be bestowed. As the years went on, the day came that Cyris passed his lordship to his eldest, Loffrey, and vanished from the castle atop his hippogriff. It was then that the threats and plots against Leon became a very real threat. Loffrey did not view the impressive achievements of Leon as significant enough that it would dissuade the deLonse's political rivals from using it against them. The bastard's romantic relationship with the mystic Damsel, Gwendoline, was used by Loffrey as a weapon against his half brother. Gwendoline was framed by Loffrey as a devotee of Chaos and he cast the same suspicions upon Leon. The youngest deLonse was eventually held captive by his brother, but there Leon was visited by a vision from his vanished father. Cyris bade Leon to slay Loffrey for ruthless ambition had washed away his honour, the Grail Knight claimed that Leon must do this as Cyris could not bring himself to commit the deed himself. Whilst this happened however, the Damsel Gwendoline managed to elude Loffrey's attentions long enough that she was able to infiltrate castle deLonse and free her captive lover. As the two fled, Leon came upon his brother. Words were of no use to either of them, and so their duel began. the bastard fully intended to follow his father's commands - he was nothing if not a loyal knight. However, as Leon triumphed and Loffrey was vulnerable to a killing blow, the young knight found himself unable to slay his older sibling - he could not bring himself to murder one he was supposed to call family, he could not obey his lord's command. Leon knew that despite his mercy, Loffrey would offer no such reprieve and so, with Gwendoline in tow, the two fled Castle deLonse together. Leon took with him as well the deLonse family sword, an enchanted, ancestral weapon that had belonged to the noble family for generations. They knew they would be pursued, and Leon feared that they would never know peace but Gwendoline swore that there was one place where they would find safe haven, however they could never return to the realm of fair Bretonnia. As a result of their hasty departure, all the false accusations against them were considered confirmed. Loffrey sent many hunters to track down the two, most returned without finding a trace whilst some never returned at all. Loffrey continued his reign of house deLonse for many years, seeing his rule now free of obstacles, he planned to elevate the deLonse family to one of the most powerful houses in Bretonnia. Of Leon and Gwendoline, neither of them were ever heard from again.